A Story In 50 Words
by VickyVicarious
Summary: A modern P&P retelling, using 50 prompts. Fits kinda with A Story In Snippets, ASI Snatches, and ASI Notes.


Okay, so it seems that "A Story In..." is becoming a sort of series, albeit a not-incredibly-connected series that is just me retelling the story in different ways, using different methods. But still. This in mind, I would like to propose an idea (kind of): Why don't you guys send in challenges for other styles you want to see? I find that I enjoy writing these. Only things are 1) I will not write a full-length story, just little glimpses or something, 2) So far it's been only modern P&P and that probably won't change, 3) I don't do naughty stuff, and 4) I seem to have a thing for ending with Darcy saying, "I love you", and Elizabeth replying, "Ditto", so be warned. That will probably happen.

But go ahead, gimme ideas!

As for this one, it's a little different. The title comes from the fact that I used 50 words as prompts for a series of short (ranging from one sentence to several paragraphs) connected pieces of the story. I got those 50 words by putting my iTunes on shuffle, and then using one word from the title of the first 50 songs that popped up. I swear I didn't edit it any more than that, although I like the way it turned out in some places.

This one has some language, and HINTS at high-rating things about to happen at the end. Enjoy.

* * *

**Jealous**

Will stood back and let Charlie do the talking; he preferred it that way, and anyway, Charlie was so much better at it. But Will didn't mind his lack of people skills, even if it did sometimes make him jealous of his friend. He compensated by having a much more level head.

~*~*~

**Gift**

It had been a while since Lizzy had received a gift from life, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that they had new neighbors. She was looking forward to teasing them and becoming friends.

~*~*~

**Start**

Will started and flinched when the woman – Mrs. Bonnet, or something – began to talk, surprised by the volume and pitch of her voice. She babbled on about… something, and he quickly dismissed yet another family as appropriate acquaintances, though a glance at Charlie showed him nodding along eagerly.

~*~*~

**Rainy**

Lizzy stared out at the heavily pouring rain, worrying about Jane. Her sister was very susceptible to colds, and she just hoped Jane had gotten inside before the skies had opened up.

She had a feeling, though, that things weren't going to turn out so well.

~*~*~

**Want**

Will's eyes kept shifting towards Lizzy, no matter how much he tried not to. He wasn't really sure why – sure, he found her attractive, but she was lacking in both heritage and class. She had _jogged_ here, for heaven's sake!

But there was just something about her, disheveled though she may be…

~*~*~

**Heaven**

His hand was wound up in long dark hair, his eyes closed. His heart beat faster as he and the mysterious lady kissed, his other hand sliding around to rest on her lower back and pull her closer, until she was flush against him. Heaven.

Will's eyes opened when she pulled back, and he was caught in the intense gaze of a pair of rather familiar fine eyes, staring back at him. He opened his mouth to say something, surprised but far from disappointed – and woke up.

~*~*~

**Heal**

Lizzy could not be gladder that Jane had finally healed. It was so frustrating, having to spend so much time around such aggravating people, and try to remain polite to them, despite their incredible lack of manners themselves. Discounting Charlie, Will had been the nicest there – and that was saying something.

~*~*~

**Stupid**

Will felt rather stupid. Stupid, and maybe just a little bit infatuated. Both were for the same reason: the eyes of Lizzy Bennet haunted his mind, so much so that he had actually agreed to visit the whole Bennet family with Charlie. He was willingly subjecting himself to Mrs. Bennet!

Something was _wrong_ with him.

~*~*~

**Bye**

Lizzy raised her eyebrows in vague surprise as she watched Will's back, fading farther into the distance and growing smaller as he swiftly rode away. Then she glanced at George, and smiled. _That_ ought to be an interesting story.

~*~*~

**Only**

She was only a woman! Just like any other woman. Why should he care if she walked around with George? It meant nothing to him.

She was _only_ a woman. Not even _his_ woman.

~*~*~

**Leave**

Lizzy couldn't wait to leave. This dance was _not_ turning out well, with first George failing to appear, then her mother and Lydia and Kitty and Mary all conspiring to embarrass her as much as possible, and in front of Will, too.

Well, at least Jane was enjoying herself.

~*~*~

**Day**

He'd been waiting all day. In a strange state of eagerness, that Charlie surely would have noticed, had he not been eagerly awaiting the dance himself. All day long, Will had agonized over what to do, first resolving to behave as always, and then fretting over how he might ask Lizzy to dance.

All day long.

~*~*~

**Fire**

When Will saw Lizzy walk through the doors, a vision in a white dress, he felt a fire flare up in his stomach, and his eyes locked upon her, failing to note or perhaps not caring about anything else.

When her eyes met his across the room, briefly, he fancied that they also held a tiny flame.

~*~*~

**Move**

He had not been planning on it, despite the fire that now surged through his limbs and the odd clenching in his chest. But then, his feet had begun to move, entirely of their own volition, and when Lizzy briefly collided with his chest and agreed to dance with him, Will was glad they had.

~*~*~

**Follow**

Lizzy followed Will to the dance floor, rather confused about why he might want to dance with her (and a slow dance, at that!), and she swayed with him on the floor without paying much attention to it. After quite the verbal fight, she followed him off to the side of the room, drew back a hand, and slapped the ass with all her might, enjoying the shocked look on his face.

No, wait. They were still dancing. Lizzy sighed, and continued to follow Will's lead.

~*~*~

**Losing**

Losing, that was bad enough, but losing to George! That was another thing entirely, and Will was incensed. But what could he do? The snake had gotten in there first, had poisoned Lizzy against him, and ruined everything, damn him!

It wasn't until much later that Will remembered that he could never date her anyway.

~*~*~

**Hills**

Lizzy enjoyed climbing the hills and looking down on the surrounding country. She could see most everything there, and so it probably shouldn't be such a shock to catch sight of Will galloping one of Charlie's horses through a field below her.

But somehow, it was, and it ruined her morning.

~*~*~

**Mama**

"Mama!" Lizzy had no idea how many times she had said that scolding word, but she thought it was far too many.

Another comment about Charlie, and it escaped her again, on Jane's behalf. "_Mama!_"

~*~*~

**Alcohol**

It was actually a rather nice way to steel himself for the task that Caroline seemed to have been born ready for. Will needed the alcohol for this, needed the liquid courage in order to inform his best friend that the woman he loved did not love him back.

But when Charlie's face crumpled, Will realized that no amount of alcohol would ever make this job easier.

~*~*~

**Word**

_Gone_. It was just one word, one innocent little word.

And Lizzy wished more than anything that it had never been invented, so that she wouldn't have to hear Jane whisper it in such a broken voice.

~*~*~

**Touch**

They'd only ever touched once, really, and that touch still haunted Will, even though he'd been gone for days now. He couldn't understand why; it was something he'd done with several women, no matter how he generally hated dancing (and slow dancing especially). But something about the touch of _her_ arms around his neck killed Will, made him dream and wish she was his.

~*~*~

**Save**

Eventually, the worst passed, and Will allowed himself to take pride in the fact that he'd saved Charlie from a clearly foreseeable terrible marriage – saved himself, too. And he bragged this to his cousin Fitz.

He was safe.

~*~*~

**Perfect**

Yes, this was perfect. Just what she needed. Visiting Charlotte would be so much fun, even if she had to see Collins.

And it _was_ perfect, despite _Lady_ Catherine de Bourgh (she was very insistent on the title) and Bill Collins and a hundred other little annoyances, until she met the Lady's nephews.

~*~*~

**Creep**

Fitz slowly crept backwards, nodding all the while, as he tried to unobtrusively edge out of the room. However, Will's arm stopped him, coming to grip his own and drag him forward to face their Aunt together.

~*~*~

**Horse**

Riding was a welcome escape from all of Will's troubles, and it had always served to clear his head in the past – but since he had seen Lizzy once more, nothing worked to do that, no matter how he tried, and his Aunt's stables were wasted on him.

~*~*~

**Popular**

Will didn't like how popular Fitz was with Lizzy; it made him swallow and try not to glare at his cousin, and want to shove the other man out of the way, and take his place.

~*~*~

**World**

If only he could be anywhere in the world but here, the talk with his Aunt was so damn frustrating…

Will changed his mind instantly when Lizzy began to play the piano, and he quickly broke free from the conversation to walk closer.

Here was just fine.

~*~*~

**Dancing**

Listening to her play, Will desperately wished – no matter how much he enjoyed her playing – that it was someone else who played, so that he could ask her to dance again.

~*~*~

**Console**

After his disastrous visit, Will berated himself for barging in, for not saying a word, for leaving so suddenly, for even _thinking_ of kissing her, for _not_ kissing her.

He could only console himself with the fact she had not seemed to mind his idiocy.

~*~*~

**Friend**

It was good to be with her friend; Lizzy would never attempt to say otherwise. But somehow, her thoughts were less and less on Charlotte and their limited time together, and centered more and more around the puzzling Mr. Darcy.

~*~*~

**Hello**

Lizzy greeted Will with an inner groan, but did not let it show. She had almost come to expect seeing him on these walks, and so tolerated it well.

~*~*~

**Freeze**

Will felt as though he would freeze when he heard that Lizzy felt sick, but instead he managed to make excuses and leave, and drive over to visit.

He felt as though he would freeze when he saw her, but instead he asked after her health and paced around the room, unable to sit still.

He felt as though he would freeze as he awaited her answer, and then he realized that he had.

~*~*~

**Kick**

When he kissed her, Lizzy could not have been more shocked had a horse kicked her in the stomach. And then, as Will backed away from her (and her _lips!_) and told her he loved her in such horrible words, she found that she could not have been more insulted or hurt, and finally determined that she would have _preferred_ a horse to kick her.

No. To kick him.

~*~*~

**Blood**

Will felt all the blood rush to his head. He shook it in disbelief, but nothing changed. He felt light and dizzy, and could not believe his ears.

She had refused him.

~*~*~

**Whoa**

He lashed out in anger, only to wish he hadn't when he heard her reply. However hurt he was by it, he was also honestly shocked, and he felt as though the world was tilting beneath his feet.

George really _had_ won, then.

~*~*~

**Goodnight**

After Will had said his farewell and left, Lizzy sat still in utter silence for a long time, staring at the wall and not really thinking about anything. Then she recovered, and hurried off to bed before Charlotte arrived home, tears in her eyes.

~*~*~

**Journey**

After he had given Lizzy the letter, Will left as swiftly as possible, not caring that he was running away.

The entire plane ride, he could not get her out of his mind, and he felt like something was killing him from the inside out.

~*~*~

**Lullaby**

She could hear the words he'd spoken in his letter like a lullaby in her ears when she tried to go to sleep; but no lullaby had ever rocked her world like this.

~*~*~

**Twilight**

It was twilight when Will finally arrived, and as he stumbled inside his apartment, jet-lagged and dogged, he declared loudly that Lizzy was a bitch and he'd never liked her anyway.

Then he searched frantically through his suitcase, and threw a book across the room when he realized he didn't have a photo of her.

~*~*~

**Happy**

Lizzy was definitely happy to be home; but it was overshadowed by the knowledge, slowly filtering into her brain with each reread of Will's letter, that she was an utter idiot and had thrown away possibly the greatest guy alive.

~*~*~

**Mercy**

Charlie, true to character, was incredibly merciful and forgiving when Will told him about Jane. He only hit his friend twice, and talked to him in less than two weeks, which was probably more than Will deserved.

~*~*~

**Hate**

Late one night, sitting in his armchair, some-number-higher-than-six-th glass of an unidentifiable alcoholic beverage in his hand, staring at the photo of Lizzy laughing with her sister that he'd stolen from Charlie, (the man had plenty more of _his_ Bennet) Will finally came to terms with the fact that she hated his guts.

Once he'd picked the glass out of his hand from when he'd squeezed it a little too tight, he decided that he would have to change that.

~*~*~

**Work**

It was hard work, Will found, to act nice around people all the time, and by the time he returned to Pemberley, he was more than relieved to relax, in a place where he'd been nice to them anyway, and it wasn't any kind of pretense.

God, it was great to be home, Will thought, and dove into the pool.

~*~*~

**Trapped**

She was trapped. Lizzy knew it, and she knew it was futile to resist, but by God, she tried!

Or, at least, she tried as much as she could when confronted by Will's naked chest and dripping torso. However, she couldn't help but stare, and he quickly excused himself to go get dressed, blushing slightly.

She tried to make an escape then, but he caught her and invited them all over for dinner, and of course her aunt and uncle wanted to go, and she had to say yes.

And she had to face the facts: he had done it. Lizzy was in love with him now. She really was, and he was forever out of her reach.

Ironic.

~*~*~

**Pure**

Pure despair. That was what washed through her when she read the email and learned that her littlest sister had been raped by George Wickham. Despair, and nothing else.

It was only as she sobbed into Will's shirt that a little bit of longing seeped in, too.

~*~*~

**Spider**

Will had finally managed to track George down and give him what he deserved. The spider was finally caught, his own web of lies and misdeeds trapping him in place.

But the whole time, even as he got to watch the bastard be dragged away in cuffs like he'd often dreamed about, all Will could think about was Lizzy.

He wanted her to not hate him, and it seemed he'd accomplished in that goal. But she hadn't really encouraged him any more, and he was afraid that this was the best deal he would ever get.

Sitting in the shadows, watching her and trying to make things easier for her. Watching and wishing.

~*~*~

**Sunday**

They arrived back on Sunday, and Charlie dragged Jane away almost immediately for a _private talk_. She couldn't keep her eyes off Will, what he'd done for Lydia and his Aunt's (_Lady_ Catherine) visit running in loops through her brain.

She nudged his shoulder. "Want to go for a walk?"

Will turned his head slowly to look up at her, then glanced at the rest of the family, gathered around the picnic tables. "Are you sure they won't mind?"

Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Who cares? I'm leaving. Me or them?" Her heart beat fast as she waited for his answer.

Will's eyes darkened, and when he said, without taking his eyes off hers, "You, every time," his voice was deep and meaningful.

Lizzy cleared her throat. "Oh – um, right."

~*~*~

**Love**

They ambled along the path, enjoying the day, not talking. Suddenly, though, Lizzy ran out of ideas of a good way to lead into her desired subject, and she just stopped walking and turned to Will.

"Look. I know about what you did for my sister," she said without preamble, "And I can't go any longer without telling you how incredibly grateful I am. And the rest of my family, too, even though they don't know it was you."

Will flushed red and glanced at the ground. "I – I didn't think your uncle would tell you. I asked him not to."

"Oh, it wasn't his fault," Lizzy assured. "Lydia let it slip a little bit, when she mentioned that you were at the trial. And then I just had to find out, so I called Uncle Tom, and he told me that you had given them the lead that led them to George."

Will was still staring at the ground, but at this, he raised his head. He was still blushing, but he shook his head determinedly, and his eyes shone. "No," he said, "No, I can't do this anymore."

Lizzy blinked in shock, and was about to ask him what he meant, when he took a step closer to her. The path they were on wound through a forest, and as they were alone in it, they were assured absolute privacy.

"Lizzy, if you're going to thank me, don't even bother to do it for your family," Will continued. "I mean, I've been trying – but you can't honestly think that I was thinking about all of _them_ the whole time!" Lizzy drew her breath in a short gasp when he said, "It was for you, all for you, you have to know that!"

Lizzy couldn't say anything; she was too shocked. Will decided to take the fact that she had not hit him as a good sign, and forged on.

"My – my Aunt visited me a few days ago…" he hesitated, taking in Lizzy's sudden blush. Then, in a fit of bravery, Will said, "None of _my_ feelings have changed, Lizzy. I still love you as much as ever – god, more now if that's possible, I…" Will swallowed hard. "If you tell me no again, I swear I'll leave you alone, and I won't mention it ever again. But if you feel differently than before…"

He waited, his happiness, his entire life hanging in the balance. Her words would make or break everything he wanted.

"I…" Lizzy's eyes filled up with tears, and, delighted as she was, she couldn't force any words past the lump of emotion in her throat.

Will was almost tempted to just give up now; to walk away before she hurt him any more – but he wasn't going to leave until he was positive that there was absolutely _no_ possibility of her ever loving him.

However, seeing that she didn't seem to be agreeing, he panicked and did the only thing he could think of that would postpone her harsh words of rejection: he took the final step forward and kissed her.

Needless to say, Will was shocked (but pleasantly) when Lizzy immediately began to kiss back – but he took advantage of this, deepening the kiss and not ending it until it was absolutely necessary, for breathing purposes.

"I love you too," Lizzy gasped, tears pouring down her face, and then she found herself being kissed again, with even more fervor.

~*~*~

**They**

It was very clear, that when Lizzy and Will walked back, it was Lizzy-and-Will. It was obvious to everyone at the picnic that the couple returning from the woods was now a couple. They had become a _they_.

"Congratulations," Mr. Bennet greeted them, and led them over to Jane-and-Charlie.

~*~*~

**Might**

Will let Lizzy open the door, and then he swept her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold, kicking it closed with a foot as he walked across the foyer and headed straight up the staircase, ignoring her shrieks of protest.

By the time he got to the bedroom and set Lizzy down on the bed, he was panting, and Will lay down next to her in exhaustion.

Her head floated over his, smiling down at him. "Do I need to lose weight, husband-dearest?"

Though he couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his lips at the word _husband_, Will just shook his head weakly. "Smaller house," he huffed.

"Oh, but I _love_ Pemberley," Lizzy sighed. "It's why I decided to marry you, you know."

She grinned cheekily at him, and Will groaned and shut his eyes. "I knew it," he muttered, "You're a fortune-hunter. You're just sneakier about it than Caroline Bingley."

"Oh yes, turning you down the first time was all part of my master plan," Lizzy agreed, and before the memory could become painful, she bent down and kissed him.

Will opened his eyes in surprise, but quickly relaxed into the kiss, first reaching up to pull his wife closer to him, and then rolling them both over so that he could pin her down and kiss her to his heart's content.

Drawing back briefly for breath before continuing with the pleasurable activity, Will smiled widely and took a moment to observe his wife's laughing features, long dark hair, and incredibly fine eyes shining lovingly at him.

He couldn't believe that he had ever thought that she only _might_ be considered beautiful; she was the most enchanting thing he had ever seen, and he proceeded to tell her so.

Lizzy tugged him down for another kiss, and her nimble fingers began to unbutton his shirt. "Ditto."


End file.
